goat kidding

[Shatessa]

Me and my husband have been thinking about breeding goats, iv been doing a lot of research to get prepared. I would like to ask based of your experiences, have you let multiple does kid together in a large kidding pen, or do you separate them completely?

 

[Stacykins]

Me and my husband have been thinking about breeding goats, iv been doing a lot of research to get prepared. I would like to ask based of your experiences, have you let multiple does kid together in a large kidding pen, or do you separate them completely?

Mine are always separated completely, but in view of the other goats. I have stalls that I've built specifically for kidding. The doe who is due (I know the exact due date because I only allow the buck a date when the doe is in heat for a single day) goes into the stall with the barn camera. That way, I can keep an eye on her. Her closest buddy in the herd goes into the stall next to her, so they can see and hear each other, which significantly reduces the stress of being separated.

 

[Shatessa]

how tall should my kidding pen be? Are does still able to escape as well as normal so soon after giving birth? Sorry for all the questions!

 

[Stacykins]

how tall should my kidding pen be? Are does still able to escape as well as normal so soon after giving birth? Sorry for all the questions!

Depends on your doe. I once had a Nigerian Dwarf doe who could levitate. Or so it seemed. She needed a special stall that was very high and made smooth with OSB so she could gain no foothold to contain her (she was killed by my boer wether, so I no longer have her). Everybody else is content with a four foot stall, no escapes.

 

[H Diamond]

Kidding by themselves is ideal, but if not an option they can kid with the herd. You just have to be aware of the problems that can come from that. (Stolen kids, confused moms, stepped on kids, forgotten kids, etc) All my first freshners go in a pen by themselves so they can get the hang of the "mom" thing.